M.I.Y.O Monday: Where To Go For Late Night Eats?

Shot with my mobile phone at 1am. Not too bad for such a late-night (or is that early morning?) attempt.

Note: M.I.Y.O. Monday stands for Make It Your Own Monday, a question thrown out to DCF readers every Monday to jumpstart the week with lively interaction. I also welcome questions and suggestions for future MIYO Mondays. Email me.

Where do you eat when everything else has closed down for the night?

Dress has been hung up and set aside to be dry-cleaned. I’ve washed my face twice and scrubbed off my make-up. And what a relief it is to step out of my heels and into more comfortable heel-less shoes. As if on cue, the hunger pangs make themselves felt – and heard. Shallow, then deep rumblings affixed to an abyss increasing in depth.

Oh, so dramatic! But hunger often is. What was that someone once said about “…not living right if one has not eaten right?” The event was enjoyable but look-at-me fancy, and this all too often precludes eating. What a waste of lipstick, after all. Heehee.

In the car, my Bin and I mentally run through our list of the usual late night suspects. It’s past midnight and we crave for the burgers at Draft but while their bar is open, the kitchen is closed. Liquids are not food, so on we go. Don’t feel like North Park, though the salpicao at Whistlestop presents a possibility.

Where else? Where else?

We end up where we always end up post-event: at Old Swiss Inn. I love their baked pork knuckles and cheese fondue of course, and a new favorite is their S’mores Fondue. Tonight however, sans make-up and inhibition, my Bin and I tuck into the Spaghetti Bolognese with reckless abandon and I discover my next new favorite: the Swiss-style Burger.

This burger (photo above) is bedecked with all the trimmings plus another glorious extra: a gleaming fried egg atop. In the bright light of a dinner eaten thankfully at one in the morning, it shines like a beacon of sustenance and satisfaction. I don’t often eat late at night but this late night eat is one of the most satiating and joyful I have recently.

When I still lived in Mandaluyong, the Midnight Buffet of Edsa Shang was a savior for those late hunger pangs. Their tapa is soooo good. I also like the Tapa of Manila Pen by the lobby. Rufo’s saved my husband from going home to a mad and hungry pregnant wife after he searches the city for some good ol’ tapa in the wee hours of the morning.

A night owl like me will forever be thankful to the rise of call centers, because of the current proliferation of late-night or 24-hour eats. While looking for food at 1am isn’t too difficult (bars are still open, some of them with good food), try doing it at 4am!

Whistle Stop and North Park, or course, are standbys. If in Pasig, Borough is terrific. We once went there at 5am and in my inebriation, I managed to demolish the enormous French Toast! Even the manager glanced over, saw my plate, and said, “Good job!” HE, HE, HE! JT’s in Makati also stays open pretty late. Yellow Cab is good for more than pizza; the pumpkin soup and sandwiches are satisfying. And they deliver! Chihuahua is open till 3am, I believe, and burritos are great after drinking. On Wed.-Fri., you can go to Distrito, which is back beside Makati Med and is open till 3. If all else fails, there’s Burger Machine. Not at all as good as it was in the ’80s, but I went there once, drunk and ravenous, and it hit the spot! Even their sans rival (which I was never a fan of) was heaven for me! 😀

I’ve yet to try the new Cable Car, but I heard the menu is more or less the same. It’s still on Pasay Road, but closer to the area where Ukokkei is. As Jay P said, I do hope it’s much cleaner and smells better now. Most especially, I hope the critters didn’t move with them!

The grilled cheese with tomato soup in Borough is great, and the French toast, as I said, is super indulgent, and not only because of its size! Speaking of peanut butter, the Elvis sandwich is yummy,too. Now I miss Borough…